By the seaside
by GClements
Summary: New to my Fanfic? Please read Home is where the Heart is before this as it contains spoilers! This is more of a one-shot scene set a few days after everything has happened at the hospital. It is Nick's memorial and the final chance for Zoe and Sophia to say their goodbyes. Could an old flame burn once more? As always I hope you enjoy and reviews are most welcome.


**This is more like a one-shot sort of scene after everything has happened in and around the hospital, it is now time for Zoe and Sophia to say goodbye to Nick properly.**

It's late afternoon in summer and Sophia stands at the end of the long wooden pier that juts out over the sea, resting her arms on the edge and letting her hands just dangle over the side slightly. The cuts on her face, from the hit and run, are still visible underneath the Steristrips and as she closes her eyes gently, manages to take in as much of the fresh sea air as she can before the bruising to her abdomen sends a sharp pain through her body and tightens her eyelids. Zoe, who had been at confectionary stand, is dressed in her most comfortable clothes; jeans, a black T-shirt, flat converse and her white leather jacket. She walks over to stand next to Sophia and hands her one of the ice cream cones she has in her hands.

"Here you go," she says with a smile, "with strawberry sauce _and_ a flake – just the way you like it."

Sophia, slowly taking the cone from her, giggles slightly and looks up at Zoe "Thank you."

They both take out the flakes from the top of their ice creams and delicately take a bite watching the shards of chocolate fall and camouflage into the wooden boards below them. As they finish the chocolate and start on the ice cream, Zoe takes the same position as Sophia and they both stare out across the sea, watching the birds swoop and twirl in the air as the beams of sunlight dance gracefully on the very tops of the waves.

"He always did like this place didn't he?" asks Sophia.

Zoe nods, "He said it made him feel free and reminded him to live in the moment, especially when it came to you, because there are things out there that a bigger, greater than us. Things that we cannot control – those are the things that scared him most you know."

"I know."

Zoe looks down at the urn that stands next to Sophia's bag and, as she takes her hand, says "You know, we are going to have to do this soon."

"Just a few more minutes?" begs Sophia as the tears start to form in her eyes, "Just as the sun sets. Please."

"Okay." Whispers Zoe as she stands next to her, "Whenever you're ready."

As Sophia begins to cry, she covers her eyes in an attempt to hide away from the final task her father had wanted her to do and Zoe holds her tighter than ever before.

"If I do this Zoe," she starts, "it means that it's all real. That he's really gone and I'm not sure I'm ready for _that_." She buries her head into Zoe once more and begins to jolt with crying too hard.

Zoe does not loosen her arms but simply looks behind them and sees something no one, least of all Nick, would've expected to see. As she taps Sophia to look up she sees it too – everyone from Holby ED had joined them on the pier carrying a huge cardboard version of the picture Zoe and Sophia both received from Nick. Charlie leads everyone down the pier as Max and Lofty carry the picture behind him.

"We thought he deserved a bit more of a send off, I hope you don't mind." Says Charlie as he reaches the two of them who are now both in tears.

Sophia shakes her head "No," she whispers, "no of course we don't mind." She smiles at him as he kisses her forehead and the rest of the staff line up to pay their respects and offer their sympathies to Sophia and Zoe.

Zoe looks up towards Charlie and simply mouths the words 'Thank you'. She then proceeds to take Sophia's hand and clasps it between the both of hers. They then turn back around to face the edge of the pier and Sophia walks towards the urn and picks it up – Zoe stands back a little allowing her to do this by and for herself. She knew it was the best thing for her.

"The sun's setting Dad," says Sophia as she lifts the urn onto the ledge, removes the top and places it by the side, "now you can truly be free. You are now a part of everything that is greater than ourselves. I will love you forever." She lifts the urn and gently pours Nick's ashes into the wind and watches them swirl, fall and disappear into the distance as the sun finally sets and there is hardly any sunlight at all.

Zoe, who has been looking on with pride in her eyes, runs to her and holds her once more, "You did it Soph. You set him free."

Sophia looks up and smiles at her as if the pain she felt before had gone with Nick's ashes in the wind. She takes one last look at the photograph before walking towards the team, turning back to ask Zoe, "Are you coming?"

"I think I'm going to stay for a few minutes is that okay? I'll meet you back at the pub yeah? Go with Charlie."

"Okay," replies Sophia, "take all the time you need just know I'm here for you now." She smiles as Charlie places his arm around her shoulder and leads the team off to the pub – all except Max follow.

Zoe stands with her hands pressed against the side of the pier's edge as she whispers "All my love, always." She blinks hard to fight back the tears as Max walks up behind her.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

Zoe turns around, surprised that Max is still there, tilting her head to the side and smiles as she understands the freedom and release that Sophia felt. She begins to walk towards Max as he walks towards her.

"I think I will be from now on." She smiles leaning into him and they stand there for a few moments kissing and holding each other once more.

"So, would now be a good time to tell you I went through the drawers of your desk?"

"You what? Why would you even think that that's – "

"To find this," Max interrupts as he pulls out the silver band that Zoe had hidden in her drawer and holds it up to her, "you see I was thinking, maybe we could be Mr and Mrs Walker again?"

"Oh, Max," Zoe replies with a sigh that breaks into a smile, "I'd love that."

Max places the ring back onto her finger where it belongs and gazes into her eyes before Zoe says, "Come on you, by the time we get there it'll be my round."

They both laugh as they walk off the pier with their fingers interlocking and Zoe's head resting on Max's shoulder, both of them knowing that their lives are about to be changed forever and, hopefully, for the better.


End file.
